New Staten Island Ferries for New York City

New York City has received three new 4,500 passenger ferries. The ships were built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Florida and towed up the East Coast to NYC by Dann Ocean Towing.

The first new ferry, put into service earlier this year, is named after Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis, a Staten Island resident, killed in Afghanistan.

The second ferry was christened ‘Sandy Ground’ in honor of the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited free Black settlement and started service in June, 2022

The third ferry ‘Dorothy Day’ is named after a Staten Island journalist and social activist.

Megamax Cranes arrive New York

The heavy load carrier BigLift Baffin delivers three new cranes to the Port of New York and New Jersey. The 492ft tall cranes were built by Liebherr in Ireland and are destined for the Maher Terminal in Elizabeth, NJ.

Said to be the largest single item ever engineered and built in Ireland, the ship staged outside the Verrazano Bridge and lowered the booms in order to fit under the bridges.

The Bayonne Bridge was raised in 2019 from 151ft clearance to 215ft clearance to accommodate larger ships. The BigLift Baffin announced on VHF their total heigh with cranes to be 218’9”. Tonight’s full moon was probably needed for an extra low tide in order to transit the bridge.

Images available for purchase. ©2022 Bjoern Kils, New York Media Boat.

Seal Watching

Did you know that each winter we offer ‘Wildlife & Photography Field-trips’?
These excursions are for small groups or individuals and perfect for photographers!

When the water gets cold, many seals show up in our area and we’ve been photo documenting them for the past ten years. New York Media Boat has been taking out nature photographers, seal lovers, and scientists to watch these marine mammals.

A few years ago we teamed up with the Center for the Study of Pinniped Ecology & Cognition (C-SPEC) who’s researchers count total numbers, identify species and observe their behavior.

While we usually have the researchers aboard on our field-trips, providing narration to our passengers, we had to adjust this winter’s research due to the pandemic. Instead we installed a stabilized camera-rig on the back of the boat with a telephoto lens and record video clips to be analyzed afterwards.

Though the researchers are not aboard this year, we’re still running the tours to shoot video and are offering a few spots on each excursion for anyone who’d like to come along and observe the seals - and birds - in their natural habitat.

Email us at tours@NYmediaBoat.com if you’re interested in joining a trip.

Coolest Research Vessel Ever!?

If you grew up watching Cousteau’s adventures aboard the Calypso and James Cameron’s 1989 Sci-fi film The Abyss, you’ll LOVE this ship and the OceanX project!

OceanXplorer claims to be the most advanced exploration, research, and media vessel ever built. Equipped with helicopter, two Tritan submersibles, ROVs, and AUVs the crew can explore depths of up 6000 meters (3.7 miles) and capture the abyss with their advanced underwater camera systems. Onboard marine science labs, and Hollywood-level production capabilities allow a next level of nature cinematography. Their motto is 'To explore the ocean and bring it back to the world'.

The ship is currently visiting New York and we photographed her during the stay.

Interestingly her AIS system is broadcasting the message: “Ships and aircraft of States not parties to an armed conflict”.

Check out The Yacht Channel’s YouTube video describing her refit and includes video clips of the science labs, video editing bays, and submersibles.

Shipping Cargo by Sail

Just like the old days… goods being moved by sailboat. Grain de Sail is a modern cargo vessel powered by wind that is able to cross oceans.

It took the custom built ‘Grain de Sail’ 28 days to deliver her cargo from Saint-Malo, France to the Port of New York. The 80-foot two-masted boat was designed to cross the North Atlantic under sail in an initiative to minimize the environmental impact of shipping the company’s goods: wine, coffee and cocoa.

Stashed below deck in a climate controlled hold are 18,000 bottles of wine.
This photo shows a crew member unbolting the hatch cover to the cargo hold.

The hatch was carefully hoisted off the boat using the halyard, allowing access to the hold.

Deck officer Goulwen Josse directs the discharge operation.

The first case of ‘2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges’ wine is brought ashore and stacked on a palette by longshoremen.

The company expects to make two trans-Atlantic deliveries per year.

The ‘Grain du Sail’ boat will be docked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for about a week before starting her return trip. You can visit the boat and by reserving a time slot (free).

Whale in New York Harbor

There's a humpback whale cruising around New York Harbor, and photojournalist Bjoern Kils of New York Media Boat tracked and photographed it. Reuters has picked up our photos and story and you can order your prints here: www.nymediaboat.photoshelter.com

The whale was playful, slapping its fluke swimming past the Statue of Liberty, as Capt. Bjoern snapped away -- while keeping a safe and respectful distance.

This is not the same whale that we photographed in the Hudson River in 2016. Each whale has unique markings/scars on their fluke, back and dorsal fin. A comparison of images has concluded that these are two different animals.

It was a nice moment in an otherwise tough year. The New York Media Boat team has high hopes for summer 2021, and we hope you’ll come aboard for a tour!

Hospital Ship Responds to NYC COVID-19 Crisis

Photos of the NAVY Hospital Ship USNS COMFORT arriving New York City. The ship is set up with 1,000 hospital beds, 12 operating rooms and medical staff to add capacity to the already stressed New York City hospitals.

THANK YOU to all healthcare workers who are on the front lines in this fight!

For photo usage rights contact New York Media Boat at +1 732-586-7394 or email photo@nymediaboat.com.

USNS COMFORT approaches New York escorted by U.S. Coast Guard cutters.

USNS COMFORT flies the New York State flag as she sails into the Harbor

U.S. Coast Guard enforcing a federal vessel 500-yard security zone.

The USNS COMFORT steaming through The Narrows and under the Verrazano Bridge towards Manhattan.

Sandy Hook Pilot Captain Tim Ferrie navigates the USNS COMFORT into New York Harbor.

NYPD vessels and the Air-Sea-Rescue helicopter escorting the USNS COMFORT.

Sailors aboard the hospital ship USNS COMFORT.

McAllister tugs are ready to push the USNS COMFORT into her berth at Pier 90.

New Yorkers welcome the USNS COMFORT along the Hudson River.

The USNS COMFORT steams past the Statue of Liberty to aid New York City.

The USNS COMFORT sails past Downtown Manhattan.

A USCG Air Station Cape Cod helicopter monitors from above the USNS COMFORT.

The USNS COMFORT dwarfs West 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan.

U.S. Coast Guard ensures safe passage for the USNS COMFORT as she approaches Pier 90.

Captain Jason Tama commands all Coast Guard missions in the Port of New York and New Jersey.

The hospital ship USNS COMFORT docked at Pier 90 in Midtown Manhattan.

Greta Thunberg in New York

After two weeks at sea, Greta Thunberg arrived in America. Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia sailed Greta across the North Atlantic - from Plymouth to New York. Thunberg is determined to tell U.S. policy makers a thing or two about climate change at the United Nations in Manhattan.

Greta Thunberg in New York at the Statue of Liberty aboard Malizia II

Thunberg sailed aboard Malizia II, an IMOCA class racing yacht, in order to minimize her own carbon footprint and not taking a plane.

Greta Thunberg at the Statue of Liberty in New York

Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia offered Thunberg the ride after hearing her speak to a group of school children and expressing interest in delivering her message to North and South America.

Greta Thunberg at the Statue of Liberty sailing towards her destination: Manhattan.

Greta Thunberg at the bow of Malizia II

‘Unite Behind The Science’ is a message Team Malizia is promoting. They outfitted the sailboat with CO2 sensors and are collecting ocean data on all their voyages.

‘Unite Behind The Science’ and ‘A Race We Must Win’ are clear messages in Malizia’s sails

The United Nations arranged a sailboat flotilla to welcome Greta with colorful sails.

Approaching Manhattan Thunberg waves to passengers aboard the Staten Island Ferry.

Greta Thunberg greets passengers aboard the Staten Island Ferry as she approaches Manhattan.

Greta Thunberg - Destination: Manhattan

Greta Thunberg’s father Svante accompanied her on the trip. Skipper Boris Herrmann in the background.

Boris Herrmann and Greta Thunberg were welcomed by thousands of fans and journalist from all over the world at North Cove Marina in downtown Manhattan.

Boris Herrmann and Greta Thunberg exit the press conference

Greta Thunberg Sails to New York

photo: ©Anders Hellberg

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is traveling to New York by sailboat to speak at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in September.

The 16-year old Thunberg and her father are being ferried across the North Atlantic by professional offshore sailor Boris Herrmann and his teammate Pierre Casiraghi aboard Malizia II — a foiling IMOCA 60 racing sailboat.

Sailing, she says, will limit her carbon footprint.

Thunberg started a school strike every Friday in front of the Swedish parliament to send a clear message to politicians, and says the strikes will continue until Sweden is in alignment with the Paris Climate Accord.She has inspired kids in many countries to follow suit. Social hashtags are #FridaysForFuture and #SS4C.

Team Malizia is collaborating with the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Munich, and the Geomar Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany. They have outfitted the boat with CO2 sensors and are collecting ocean data on all of their voyages.

Happy Birthday America!

For the 4th of July we took the American Flag as our VIP passenger for a tour through the harbor and past the Statue of Liberty and Freedom Tower. Happy Independence Day everyone!

Sea Shepherd’s NY Mission: TriBeCa Film Festival

Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson and his high-speed intercepter ship the MV Brigitte Bardot arrived in New York City for the the TriBeCa Film Festival premier of WATSON.

The Brigitte Bardot (formerly Gojira) is currently docked at North Cove Marina and while in town, her crew members educate the public on their mission to protect marine life and preserve the ocean for future generations.

The boat has a very distinct look: Some call her a trimaran, others a stabilized monohull. You may recognize her from Animal Planet’s show ‘Whale Wars’ where she replaced the Ady Gil after it was sunk by a Japanese whaling ship.

Built in England in 1998, she was designed to circumnavigate the globe in less than 80 days — and she did it in 74. Sea Shepherd acquired her in 2010 and deploys her as an intercepter vessel to search for illegal fishing operations. Re-powered with twin 500HP Cummins diesel engine, her range is around 2,000 nautical miles and the cruising speed is 14 knots.

Capt. Mark invited us aboard for a tour of his ship.

The documentary details Watson's four-decade crusade to stop illegal fishing around the world. It's directed by Lesley Chilcott, who produced An Inconvenient Truth.

Brigitte Bardot's New York City visit is just a stopover between two missions: fighting illegal shark fishing around the Galapagos Islands as part of Operation Mamacocha, and combatting illegal whaling in Iceland.

Crane Delivery: Shanghai to New York

It was an impressive sight, as the four giant ship-to-shore cranes appeared on the Horizon.

On April 20th, the Heavy Load Carrier 'Zhen Hua 20' arrived in New York. She had departed Shanghai on February 15th -- that's 66 days at sea -- traveling at an average speed of just 8 knots. 

The four cranes on deck were built by ZPMC in China for the Maersk Terminal at Port Elizabeth in New Jersey.

Many modern heavy load carriers are constructed with the wheelhouse forward of the cargo area for unobstructed views. On this ship, a box is mounted on the bow for the the look-out.

A clearview screen ensures a good view in any weather. This rotary wiper is installed in the window and houses an electric motor mounted in the center, which spins a glass disk inside the circular metal frame at high speed. Rain, sleet, and sea spray get dispersed immediately upon contact by centrifugal force.

Anchor was dropped in Gravesend Bay to reconfigure the total height in order to transit under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and the Bayonne Bridge.

With the booms lowered the total height was 213 feet. Three Moran tugboats assisted as she sailed through the Narrows into New York Harbor.

The iconic Manhattan skyline always makes for a nice backdrop!

One World Trade Center is currently the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

Stability calculations had to be exact in order to extend the booms this far from her port side.

The recently raised Bayonne Bridge was transited at low tide, allowing some extra room to pass underneath. 

Tight quarters, but she made it!

Humpback Whale in New York Harbor: Monday 11/21 Update

Gale-force winds gusting 40 knots stirred up the harbor, making it difficult to locate the whale's occasional spout among whitecaps everywhere. Despite recent reports "off the Statue," "at the 1 Bouy" and "north of Governors Island," it took us over an hour to find the mammal. We finally spotted it south of Governors Island right around slack tide.

The whale swam west, crossing the shipping lane, and began surface feeding just east of the Statue of Liberty. Due to the adverse weather conditions we didn't see the whale as much as on previous days, making its path much less predictable.

Marine Mammal Researcher Kristi Ashley Collum from the American Museum of Natural History, who also collaborates with Gotham Whale, joined us on the escort. Kristi deployed a hydrophone off the boat to record the whale's vocalizations. 

For about an hour the whale swam in a north-south pattern along a 0.3-nautical mile transect of a shoal, surfacing about once a minute.

At 3:30pm the whale headed south towards the Jersey Flats and we returned to port.

Humpback Whale in New York Harbor: VIDEO

We've tracked the whale through New York Harbor for about 13 hours over three days, mostly taking photos (see previous blogs) but also some video. Here's a clip of it surfacing next to our boat:

We tried to maintain a 100 yard distance at all times, but the whale took a liking to our boat in New York Harbor.

The below clips are available in ProRes 422 1920x1080 @ 29.97fps, ©2016 Bjoern Kils/New York Media Boat

New York Media Boat has been tracking the whale for three days. Check out our unique photos on the blog at www.NYmediaBoat.com!

Humpback Whale in New York Harbor: Day 3

At noon we set out with hopes of locating the whale again. Early that morning, it was seen south of the Statue, a friend later reported it by North Cove Marina. With an incoming tide we reasoned that the flood would carry it upriver just like the previous day. At 1:20pm, Kristina spotted the whale just north of 79th Street Boat Basin on the Manhattan side of the Hudson River. The FDNY fireboat 'Bravest' was also in the area and the whale surfaced quite close to their vessel.

It was significantly less active than the previous day -- we timed 1 to 2 minute breathing intervals and the whale was was cruising slowly, only occasionally lifting its tail out of the water.

Earlier that morning we spoke with a researcher who has been documenting and cataloging whales in the New York Bight for years. He wants to identify this individual and said to pay special attention to the white pigmentation under the flukes. The color, pattern, ridges and scars act as unique identifiers. Photos will help determine if just one or multiple whales are being sighted in the Upper Bay. The first photo is the underside and the second photo the top side of the same tail.

Trying to estimate its size, we checked the Simrad structure-scan/sonar and were amazed by the image!

It seemed there was less fish in the area than yesterday. Only once did we observe surface feeding.

As flood changed to ebb, the current carried us and the whale south again. Floating with the engines in idle for hours, only occasionally making small course corrections to avoid anchored barges. The most incredible experience of the day was when the whale surfaced just next to the boat. It was a huge surprise, since we were careful to maintain at least a 100 yard distance at all times.

Today the whale hugged the Manhattan side as it travelled downriver at 3-4 knots.

It passed within feet of the cruise ship terminal.

Then it picked up speed, moving past Hudson Yards and Chelsea Piers at 7 knots.

At the Whitney Museum of American Art, it showed its tail again.

 Finally, as the sun set, the whale made its way south towards the Verrazano Bridge. We hope it will find its way back to the ocean soon.

Humpback Whale in New York Harbor: Day 2

Captain Eric and I set out around 10am to see if the whale was still in New York Harbor. There were no recent confirmed reports. Someone said they may have seen something off Chelsea Piers, another unconfirmed report came from Hoboken and 34th Street. We started our search in the Deepwater Range, where we saw it last the previous night and cruised up the North River at 4 knots. Around 1pm a workboat in the vicinity of the George Washington Bridge reported the whale surfacing. We got there quickly and started tracking the whale again, keeping a safe distance to the mammal.

The whale had swum north with the flood, and as the tide switched to ebb it changed direction and headed back towards downtown.

NOAA's Humpback whale approach regulations call for a distance of 100 yards, slow speed, and to not place a vessel into the path of the whale. New York Harbor is teeming with tugs, barges, ferries and other commercial traffic so once again we decided to just stay with it, and coordinate with oncoming traffic in hopes of providing safe passage for the whale.

Most professional captains appreciated our guidance and steered clear of the whale. Around 3pm the whale started moving in an east-west pattern and began breaching. Fish jumped out of the water in a last attempt to get away.

Note the distinctive bumps on the whales head. Each bump is a hair follicle and researchers suspect they help the whale detect density of fish while feeding.

At dawn the whale was lobtailing -- slapping the water repeatedly with the tail, some scientists believe it to be a non-verbal form of communication, or part of the feeding ritual, stunning fish or driving them closer together.

As the sun set, we lost visual contact to the whale and updated the US Coast Guard to its last location so ships can be advised to be extra vigilant and operate at a safe speed in the area.

Check back later for video of the whale feeding.

Humpback Whale in New York Harbor

Passengers aboard our Adventure Sightseeing Tour got to see the newest attraction in New York Harbor! A whale made its way up the Hudson and was spotted off the Statue of Liberty.

We watched the whale for several hours, providing a safety zone and communicating with commercial vessels to avoid potential collision.

Encountering whales is not uncommon this time of year out in the Atlantic Ocean, but rarely does one swim into the harbor.

The whale surfaced within feet of the boat, allowing us to take truly unique photos.

It's a Humpback whale and we are searching the national database to learn more about this specific animal.

For more photos and videos check out the Day 2 and Day 3 blog posts.

Viking Invasion of New York Harbor

It's an intimidating sight: a 115-foot wooden Viking ship with more than 30 people on board, all chanting in Old Norse and rhythmically beating the ship's oak planks. That's how the Draken Harald Hårfagre Viking ship arrived in New York earlier this week -- and it was easy to see how such an entrance would strike fear into any nation that might be facing a Viking invasion.

But the Draken's mission is far from conquest. Owner Sigurd Aase wants to raise awareness of the Vikings' historical journeys across the Atlantic to North America, long before any other Europeans arrived. And he wants to spark young people's interest in adventure.

Draken's "Expedition North America" started in Norway on April 26, with stops in Iceland and Greenland before entering the St. Lawrence River to get to Quebec City and Montreal. The ship then spent the latter half of the summer sailing around four of the Great Lakes with stops in major lake cities like Chicago, Green Bay, and Duluth.

She was built in Haugesund in Norway, and is the largest Viking ship in modern times. She's not a replica, but was designed using data from archaeological finds and Old Norse literature. Her 80-foot mast is the trunk of a Douglas Fir.

The 260-square-meter red sail, which is made of silk, gets her cruising at 14 knots, and the bow's dragon-head is thought to protect against sea monsters.

After a brief stay at Liberty Landing Marina in New Jersey, the Draken made her way to North Cove Marina in lower Manhattan, where she'll be open for tours at $10 per person. 

Unlike a thousand years ago, the Vikings received a warm welcome, and their ruler was pleased: Aase sported a big smile along with his Nordic King robe.

The Draken will sail on to Mystic, Connecticut, where she'll be laid up for the winter and overhauled for future projects.

The ALIR at 40

More than 70 sailboats gathered off Rockaway Point for the start of the 40th annual Around Long Island Regatta (ALIR) last Thursday.

Hosted by the Sea Cliff Yacht Club, the ALIR covers 190 nautical miles and combines ocean and coastal sailing, attracting cruisers and offshore racers alike.

Moritz Hilf and his Pogo 10.5 Max took second place in the double-handed division 6.

Peter Becker and the Young American Jr. Big Boat Team took first place aboard High Noon in the spinnaker division 9 -- and third place in the IRC division 0.

Brendan Larrabee and crew hiked out aboard the Andrews 68 Simon Says YC.

And Bartosz Bilinski sailed into sixth place on Narwana in the spinnaker division 5.

These are just a few of the vessels we captured at the race start. We may have a picture of yours! If interested, email NYmediaBoat@gmail.com with your sail number and boat description.